Hermetically-sealed receptacle.



' No. 867,239, PATENTED OCT. 1, 1907.

J. C. BOWERS.

HERMETICALLY SEALED RECEPTAGLE.

APPLICATION FILED DEO. 13, 1906.

A tool.

JOHN-C. BOWERS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

HEnMETIcALLY-SEALED RECEPTACLE.

Specifica-.tion of Letters Patent.

ratentea oct. 1, 1907.

`Application filed December 1S, 1906. Serial N0- 347,655.

To all whom it moy concer':

Be it known that I, JOHN C. BOWERS, a citizen ofthe United States, residing in Boston, in the county of -Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hermetically- Scaled Receptacles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention particularly relates to the hermetic sealing of cans, boxes and other receptacles made of sheet tin, and the object of my invention is to provide means whereby the head, top or cover of such a vessel vcan be secured to the body thereof without the use of providing a solderless seam or joint-for connecting the head, top or cover of a receptacle with the body portion thereof, and which is of lsuch nature that it can -be broken and ,opened without the use of a key or other As the joint or seam which I employ is of novel construction, it lmay not only be used for connecting a cover with a receptacle, but it may be used for connecting other partsy thereof. A'

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my improvements applied to a tin box or can ofthe kind commonly employed tfor pacldngmeats, fish and the like. I, of course, d'not wish to be limited in the use of my invention to thisl particular style of receptacle," but have merely selected` it for convenience,land while will specifically describe my improvements as aplplied to receptacles of this kind, I will, in the claims,

'endeavor to point out t'henovel features of my inven;

'tion as applied to vessels or receptacles of various kinds.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tin box or can, the general form of which is well known but which has my improvements applied there'to. Fig. '2 shows a Vertical central section thereof on the 1ine2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 2 is a detail view showing how the ends of -the sealing strip overlap. Fig. 3 is a perspective. view of the box with the sealing strip partly detached. Fig. '4 is a detail View in section ,showing the lapping seaming flanges of the box and cover with the sealing strip'applied thereto but before'the strip is given its final form. Fig. 5 is a similar view showing how the sealingstrip is locked to the shouldered anges of the box and cover'. Fig. 6 is a similar viewof a modification. Figs. '7, 8 9

and 10 are similar views of modified forms of sealing jecting horizontally outwards at the top of the box. IThe head, top or cover, B, illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, is formed with a central depressed portion, b, surrounded py side Walls, b, which lie close to the vertical walls of the box, A, near its upper end, and anoutwardly projecting seaming flange, b2, which surrounds the cover and overlaps the seaming flange, a, of the body, A. At its outer end the-flange, b2, is beaded or shouldered at x. Preferably this shoulder is formed by bending the edge of the flange backwards towards the middle portion of the cover, the edge thereof ter minating a short distance w1thin the outer. edge ory periphery of the flange, b2. This is an important feature of my invention; When the cover is placed on the box the central portion, b, extends a short distance into the body of the box, the walls, b, lying close to the vertical walls of the `box body on all sides in order to obtain as close a fit las possible. This will ordinarily be suicient to prevent leakage but will not be air-tight. In order to',

increase the efficiency of this joint, I may employ a sheet of paraffin paper or similar material, P, which extends across the box beneath the cover and outwardly between the flanges, a and b2, though experience has demonstrated that a perfectly air-tight seam or joint may be obtained without the use of such material.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the side walls of the box are shown slightly Haring and the walls, bf, of the cover are correspondingly tapered. This construction enables the cover to be forced tightly intp engagement with the box, but the particular formation shownA is not essential.

When the cover and box body are connected in' the manner just described they are locked and sealed by means of a sealing strip, D, which is made of thin malleable metal, such as soft steel, which may be easily bent and formed into a shape which, under ordinary circumstances, is permanent, but which when unusual force is applied will yield and separate from the joint. The strip, D, before itis connected with the'vbox, is preferably substantially U-shape in cross section, as indicated in Fig. 4, producing two flanges, d, d', be-

tween which is a channel to receive the seaming4 in this condition, by suitable mechanism, such as properly formed rolls or dies, the strip is compressed tightly upon' the seaming flanges and is bent at y to form a shoulder which lies close against the shoulder, gr, as indicated in Fig. 5, and a flange, y extending a short distance inwardly beyond the shoulder. This is also an important feature of my invention, because `without the flange, y, it would be impossible to obtain a hermetic joint between the edge of the strip and the face of thc adjacent flange, but l have demonstratedI that it is entirely practicableto obtain a perfectly airtight joint because not only is an air tight joint formed between' the flange, y and the Harige, b2, but I am enabled to compress more tightly the sealing flanges, a and rb2, and they are held firmly together by the sealing strip which pinches them tightly with an air tight grip. In this way the desired seam or joint for hcrinetieally sealing a box orcan is obtained without the use of solder or similar material.

As indicated in Fig. 2; the inner end of the sealing strip may be beveled, rolled down or tapered so that when the outer end of the strip is made to overlap the inner end and is rolled down, no sharp or distinct shoulder Will be formed but a smooth joint will be produced.

Heretofore in this class of boxes or cans it has been necessary to use tools to cut away the cover from the body of the receptacle which is generally a tedious and difficult operation, or it has been necessary to use a special tool for opening the seam. In order to facilitate the opening of my improved scam, I provide the strip with a handle, E, by means of which, without the assistance of a tool, the opening of the seam may be commenced with facility and then the strip can be ripped oil with great rapidity and ease. Preferably the handle is formed in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 3, where the outer overlapping end of the strip is shown as being formed with an inwardly projecting arm which may be bent down into the recessed portion of the cover so as to be out of the way. When it is desired to open the`can, the arm may be bent up and pulled outwards in the manner indicated in Fig. 3, and then the strip may be' quickly ripped off.` While the sealing strip canthus be removed with ease, it will be understood that it cannot be removed unless by design. The shoulders, fr and y', form a perfect lock which prevents the displacement` of the strip under ordinary circumstances.'

The joint may be modified in various ways and yet be within the scope of my invention. For instance, in Fig. 9, I have shown a locking shoulder on both of the seaming flanges and the sealing strip is correspondingly formed with shoulders tofit both shoulders and on the seaming flanges. In Fig. 6 the seaming flanges instead oi being bent horizontally outwards are inclined upwardly1 to some extent. In Fig. 7, the cover is not formed with a central depression as in other figures ol the drawings, but is formed with a downwardly projecting ange, F, to which is connected an outwardly projecting flange, f, beaded or shouldered at f1. The body oi the vessel 'is formed with a flange, G, extending horizontally outwards and composed of overlapping metallic portions from which projects upwardly a flange, g, upon the top of which the covei\, F, rests. The sealing strip, D, is of substantially the same construction as that shown in Fig. 5.

` it is beaded or shouldered at h2.

In Fig. 8 the cover, I3, is formed with a straight upwardly projecting flange, h. The body, A, is beaded at h, to form a stop for the cover and at its upper end The part h3, between the shoulder and the bead, h, may be considered the seaming flange of the body. The sealing strip, D, is of substantially the same form as that shown in Fig. 5. It will be understood therefore, that a shoulder may be formed on only one of the seaming flanges, or it may be formed on both of thein, and the scaniing flanges, while preferably projecting horizontally from the receptacle, may project vertically therefrom or in an inclined direction. If desired, as when the receptacle is made ol very thin metal, the shoulder or shoulders, x, may be formed by giving the metal more than one turn in the manner illustrated in Fig. l0.

The cover of the box or can is not injured during the act of removing it and can therefore, if desired, be used to temporarily close the receptacle from time to time until its contents are exhausted. Only the sealing strip is injured in opening the receptacle which latter can, therefore, be again filled and hermetically sealed by a new sealing strip if desired.

I claim as my invention 1. A sheet metal vessel comprising a body and cover formed with outwardly projecting lapping seaming flanges, one of which is shouldered, and which are firmly connected and hermetically sealed and locked by a soft metal sealing strip extending around the seaming flanges, embracing them, projecting inwardly beyond the shoulder thereof, and shouldered to fit snugly the shoulder therein.

2. A sheet metal vessel comprising a body and a cover formed with outwardly projecting lapping seaniing flanges, one of which is shouldered, and which are firmly connected and hermetically sealed by a soft metal readily de tachable sealing strip extending around the flanges, bent into U-sliape to embrace them, extending inwardly beyond the shoulder thereof and shouldered to fit the shoulder therein.

3. A sheet metal vessel comprising a body and a cover formed with outwardly projecting lapping seaming'flangcs, one of which is shouldered, and a detachable sealing strip embracingl the flanges, extending inwardly beyond the shoulder thereof and shouldered to fit the shoulder therein.

4. A sheet metal vessel comprising :i body and a cover having outwardly projecting lapping' seaining flanges and united by a shouldered overlapping sealing strip having :i handle by means of which it may be ripped from the vessel.

5. A seam for sheet metal vessels comprising outwardly projecting lapping shouldered flanges and a sealing strip of soft metah extending around the flanges, embracing them, projecting inwardly leyond the shoulder thereofand shouldered to fit the shoulder therein.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name. i

JOHN C. BOWERS.

Witnesses ALrnoNso W. BnLcnnn, GEORGE B. GLIDDEN. 

